The Rangers currently have five defensemen under the age of
28 on their roster and two more top prospects on the way, so it’s very likely
New York will be looking to add some offensive firepower with its first-round
pick, No. 15 overall in the NHL Draft.

Between now and June 24th, we’ll take a look at some of the
forwards that the Rangers might be thinking about taking on draft
day. Today, we look at…

THN – “It took Lucas Lessio a year to decide where he wanted
to play and the Generals are happy he chose Oshawa.After being named MVP of the OHL Cup in 2009, Lessio was drafted seventh
by Niagara, but committed to the University
of Michigan.The Generals acquired his rights and went to
work on him while he played Jr. A hockey in 2009-10 and managed to sign him for
this season.Lessio has good speed for a
player with his size and scouts like his in-game attitude.With his energy level and speed, he projects
to be more of a checker at the NHL level than a scorer.‘There was so much stink about him going to
Oshawa that people started to look for things wrong with him,’ a scout
said.‘But the bottom line is he had a
pretty good year.He’s big, can skate,
works hard and can score.’Lessio is one
of three highly rated Generals.‘He wows
you with his speed,’ one scout said, ‘but I’m not so sure about the rest of his
game.’”

The
Scouting Report – “Lessio had a pretty average season based on the high
expectations he had coming in, but is still entrenched as a very solid early to
mid second round pick. The third Oshawa Generals forward on our list, Lessio is
a blue-collar winger who competes hard and plays well along the boards and in
front of the net. He has agile feet, allowing him to be effective on the
forecheck or in the cycle; and while he doesn’t possess elite speed, he can
fight through checks with his powerful stride. Lessio does a lot of little things
well to generate offensive chances, but lacks the high-end finish you would
expect from a first-round pick. The end of his season is something he’d like to
forget, as he’ll be serving a two-game suspension to start 2011 after his
actions following Oshawa’s defeat against Niagara.”

Bruins
2011 Draft Watch – “This kid is big and skilled. There is no questioning
his size, speed and offensive prowess when on his game. But B2011DW watched him
in a game in January and absolutely despised his compete level and general
attitude in that particular contest. On one play, he was tripped, fell to the
ice and then chirped at the referee all the way up the ice while his team took
off on a 2-on-1. Had he hustled, it would have been a 3-on-1 and might have
resulted in a goal. We have no doubt that this kid will appeal to some team
because of his myriad hockey tools, but Bruins fans would be wise to cross him
off their wish list- we don't see it happening. Even so, he's near the top-50
because of his potential upside and will likely be a second-rounder, maybe even
a late-first. But if this draft is pick your flavor, B2011DW chooses to pass on
him.”

Thoughts: Controversy seems to follow this speed demon.His wheels are his greatest asset, but he
doesn’t appear to have a whole lot else going for him.Lessio put up decent numbers in his first OHL
season, but scouts don’t really rave about his offensive upside.The Rangers will be looking for a more
dynamic player.

New York
drafted Michael Del Zotto from the OHL in the first round in 2008.